


Burden

by androgynousclintbarton



Series: Mafia Au [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, Mafia AU, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28311687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/androgynousclintbarton/pseuds/androgynousclintbarton
Summary: Gai struggles with his place as Kakashi's partner, and wonders if Kakashi would be better off with someone who could actually have his back in some of the more gruesome fights.For Kakagai Week 2020, Day one. Using the prompt 'Burden'
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy
Series: Mafia Au [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970116
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21
Collections: KakaGai Week 2020 entries





	Burden

The stench of blood lingered in Gai’s nose, as strong as it had been when the first shot had landed on its target. His stomach churned with every breath that he took so he tried desperately to breathe through his mouth. To avoid that awful stench for just a few seconds. 

It never worked. 

Placing a hand over his stomach, Gai hoped that it would settle to queasiness just a little. He had already emptied the contents of his lunch onto the ground in front of him, and he wasn’t sure if there was any more food to come up, so he wanted to avoid a third round. The thought of bringing up his own stomach acid did not sound like an enjoyable experience. 

“You done?” Hearing Kakashi’s voice behind him, Gai brought his head up just enough so he could look back at his partner. As always, Kakashi was unaffected by what had just happened in the small building they had been in moments ago. A steel stomach that never failed him when he had to take care of the dirty work.

His face was as emotionless as always. Not for a second betraying how he was feeling about the firefight that he had just gotten into. Their job had been to exchange money for information from the Kirigakure gang, but the other group had decided that they wanted the money without having to give anything in return. 

Speaking of which.

“Did you…” Kakashi held up the suitcase, which only made matters worse for Gai when he saw the blood dripping from it. “Oh god.”

Curling over himself again, he twisted his fingers into the fabric of his shirt as his chest compressed and another round of vomit came rushing up his throat, this time with a burning feeling that confirmed he had reached the end of his lunch. 

This was terrible.

“You know, if you keep barfing on the crime scene it’s just going to make us look bad.” Kakashi’s voice was as calm as ever when he spoke, not for a second betraying the disappointment that Gai knew he must be feeling.

Eight years. They had been partners for eight years, three of which Kakashi had taken up the job as Shikaku’s best fighter. The guy who could go in and take down the enemy without flinching. 

The man who had just taken out seven Kirigakure thugs without blinking an eye. 

And even after all of those years Gai still couldn’t handle it. The bloody scenes that Kakashi created with his shuriken, gun, or whatever other weapon he happened to have on hand at the time. It always made Gai sick to his stomach.

When was Kakashi going to finally get sick of him and ask for a new partner? They weren’t kids anymore, getting sent out on all of the easy, bloodless jobs. He needed a partner who wasn’t going to be useless to him.

Someone who wouldn’t spew his DNA all over the scene of a crime like a five-year-old who just ate some bad hot dogs.

“Gai?” A hand came down onto his shoulder, squeezing gently when he didn’t respond right away. “Gai, are you alright? You’ve been standing there looking at your own barf for… well for a little too long, honestly.”

A hint of worry cracked through the calm façade that Kakashi always had up. A weakness Kakashi only ever seemed to show when it came to Gai. At least, that’s what it seemed like. He had never heard Kakashi’s voice waver when he was talking to someone else. 

Taking a deep breath, Gai stood up slowly just to make sure he wasn’t about to vomit again, and turned to look at Kakashi. It wasn’t just Kakashi’s voice that had allowed worry to seep into it, but his face as well. With his brows furrowed and eyes that screamed concern, Gai found himself feeling even worse for the position he had put Kakashi in.

Was he really so useless to his own partner that he couldn’t be there to support him during a firefight?

“Gai, you’re not talking.” The façade shattered. Worry dripped in every word Kakashi said and his eyes searched Gai’s desperately for an answer. “What’s going on? Did something happen, did you… did they hurt you?”

The worry morphed into anger, and Kakashi’s eyes started to search Gai’s body for any signs of injury. 

“I’m fine.” Dropping his hands to his sides, Gai couldn’t help but chuckle when Kakashi glared back at him. Somehow that annoyed look he always got for worrying Kakashi just a little too much always managed to bring a smile to his face. “I promise. I was not hit.”

“Good.” Removing his hand from Gai’s shoulder, Kakashi rested it against his hip and turned his attention back to the mess that Gai had made. “I guess we should clean up before we leave…”

“I’ll clean up?” Kakashi gave him an unimpressed look. “I haven’t done anything in this fight. Let me clean up.”

“It’s a firefight, Gai, i don’t expect you to do anything.” Somehow, those words didn’t make Gai feel any better. “You’re the muscle man. Your job is to scare people off and make sure I get out alive.”

Kakashi had never really been great at pep talks, but this was just painful. 

“I’m your partner,” Gai spoke through gritted teeth. “I’m supposed to support you. Not…”

Throw up? Leave you to do all the work? Wimp out?

There were a lot of ways to explain what he had done, but he couldn’t settle on the right one. 

“You’re my partner.” Hearing his words being said back to him, Gai forced himself to look up and meet Kakashi’s eye. A mistake in his opinion, because suddenly all of the guilt and shame he had been feeling just moments ago was replaced by a fuzzy warmth in the pit of his stomach. One he didn’t deserve to have after he had failed to stay by Kakashi’s side through the fight. “We work together well, Gai, just the way we are.”

“You don’t think I’m… well,” he averted his eyes, unsure of how to word himself in the right way, “I’m not in your way? You don’t want a partner who will actually help you out with these jobs?”

A hand came up to rest against his cheek, the leather of Kakashi’s gloves rubbing against his skin.

“Turtle.” He couldn’t help but blush a little at Kakashi’s use of that old ridiculous nickname he had come up with when they were fourteen years old on a job to deliver food to one of the communities that Shikaku watched over “You’ll never be in my way. In fact, I kind of like that you’re not interested in helping out.”

“You-you do?” 

“Ya.” He could almost see the smile hidden behind Kakashi’s mask. That soft, beautiful look Kakashi always reserved for the moments they could steal away together. “I used to always say I work better alone, didn’t i? Well that’s partially true. I work really well with you when we need to protect someone. I can’t imagine trying to keep Shikaku safe and alive without you by my side.” 

That wasn’t really a lie. Kakashi was extremely good at keeping Shikaku safe, but he could also be a little overbearing sometimes. Always on edge and looking over their shoulders. He seemed to relax just a bit when Gai was by his side, focusing more on keeping an eye out for anyone who could strike from far away while leaving Gai to deal with anyone who tried to go in for a close attack. 

“Still.” Kakashi’s hand moved down his face, his finger tracing over Gai’s jawline before settling on the back of his neck. With his hand firmly in place, Kakashi gave Gai a gentle tug, pulling him just close enough so that he could push their foreheads together without having to move himself at all. “I’m quite happy to be taking care of the bloody fights by myself.”

Meeting Kakashi’s gaze, Gai drew in a shaky breath. “Why?”

“Isn’t that obvious, Turtle?” His face only seemed to burn hotter with embarrassment when Kakashi used that nickname a second time. “If you were to stay and help in a fight, you could get hurt. If that happened…”

A dark look crossed over Kakashi’s face for a moment, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

“If anything were to ever happen to you, I would burn down the world.” He said it as if it was a promise. “And then… well I don’t think you want to know what I’d do next.”

A shiver ran down Gai’s spine. The words didn’t need to leave Kakashi’s mouth for him to know what he was talking about. Kakashi had always been a reckless man, considering his life secondary to those around him no matter how much he and Shikaku tried to get him to change his outlook.

Most days he could tell that Kakashi only held on for those people who wanted him to stay in their lives. On those days he felt almost selfish for wanting Kakashi to stay alive. For demanding that he take care of himself and keep breathing, when he could see how much Kakashi was still suffering in silence.

Perhaps it was selfish, but then of course Kakashi wasn’t any better. 

“Now,” pulling himself out of his thoughts, Gai focused on the feeling of Kakashi’s hand as it moved down to his arm and settled on his bicep, “let’s get this mess cleaned up and head back to fill Shikaku in. After that i can…”

Kakashi moved his head just enough to whisper the rest of his sentence into Gai’s ear, his lips brushing against the tender skin. Sweet promises of a long night, and Kakashi’s thumb rubbing small circles into his bicep helped to take his mind off of the bloodbath that they had left behind in the building, and the guilt he had felt over not staying by Kakashi’s side to help him. 

He was where he needed to be now. Where Kakashi wanted him, and that was all that mattered.


End file.
